Tapered padding for laundry rolls



Feb. 7, 1939. J, Rl CROCKFQRD 2,146,670

TAPERED PADDING FOR LAUNDRY ROLLS Filed oct. L1, 1955 Sme/ww@ Patented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES TAPEBED PADDING FOR. LAUNDRY ROLLS Joseph'R. Crockford, Forest Hills, N. Y., assignor,

by mesne assignments, to Atlas Powder Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Dela- Appncanonwoctober 11, 1935, serial N6. 44,618

3 claims. (c1. 38-65) It is conventional practice to invest the ironing rolls of flatwork ironing machines with padding material and with an external covering. Sometimes thepadding is in the form of coiled springs or other resilient metal structures and sometimes it is comprised of cork, heavy felting, webbing or the like. In any event, the padding and/or final covering material is wound on cylindrical rolls or cores. It is customary for the operatives in feeding work through an ironing machine to feed through the center of the machine. It results that moisture from the work is partly absorbed by the padding and partly dissipated in the air. Under the action of the moisture which penetrates it, the padding, particularly when formed of knitted cotton or hair or wool felt, becomes sodden and compacted in the middle zone so that after a comparatively short period or running time, the roll surfaces become guttered or assume an initial inward arc which becomes acute at or adjacent the middle of the roll or along the path of feed. It then becomes necessary to apply more pressure on the rolls in order to establish adequate ironing contact where the rolls have been reduced in diameter. 'I'he effect of this is to cause the ends of the rolls or those portions beyond the line` of feed and, hence, substantially devoidof absorbed moisture, to assume an outward nare which causes squeezing, pulling, abrasion and undue wear. Moreover, the flared ends of the roll coverings often become soiled with lubricant and the like and there is grave hazard of transferring the same to the work.

The principal objects of the present invention are to obviate the disadvantageous conditions aforestated and to provide for investing an ironing roll for ilatwork ironers so that it will present a substantially cylindrical ironing surface along the line of feed for relatively long periods of time and, in any event, for the effective life of the ironing surface.

'I'he nature of the invention consists in providing an ironing surface which initially is of substantially crown form and which is capable of assuming in service a substantially symmetrical cylindrical form. My' inventive idea may be realized in various ways, for example, the core or roll may be cylindrical and the padding and/or covering per se may be crowned or endwise tapered so that pressure along the line of feed instead of guttering the ironing surface and causing it to become outwardly flared or bulged at the ends 'will simply cause the tapered ends to adjust themu selves readily in a compensating way and provide a substantially truly symmetrical ironing surface.

'me invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdnwinl. forming a part hereof, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view principally in diagram show- -ing how the investing material of the ironing roll becomes guttered in service, the dotted lines representing the initial uniform diameter of the ironing surface.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the practice of my invention, the full lines representing the initial crown characterstic of the roll or ironing surface and the dotted lines showing how in response to pressure along the line of feed the tapered ends adjust themselves in a compensating way to establish a uniformly cylindrical ironing surface.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5.are examples of dierent expedients for applying the invention to the ordinary cylindrical roll or drum.

In the case of existing rolls with uniformly cylindrical surfaces, the invention manifestly may be' carriedout in a number of ways. For example, in Fig. 3 there is represented cotton padding il whose warp threads or ends I gradually are reduced in size to about one-half the thickness of the middle treads. In Fig. 4 there is represented padding of the nature of felt, hair wool, asbestos, steel, copper, bronze wool, and' the like as at 8, whose ends may be skived to provide the compensating taper 9. In this figure the cylindrical core of the ironing roll is shown diagrammatically at i2 and the external covering for the padding at ii. In Fig. 5 the invention is illustrated as applied to spring paddings by employing spiral or coil springs iii which progressively diminish in height towards the ends of the roll. f

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. An ironing roll for flatwork ironers comprising, in combination, a cylindrical core and a crowned padding surrounding said core.

2. An ironing roll for fiatwork ironers comprising in combination, a cylindrical core and a crowned padding surrounding said core, said padding having its end portions tapered in a direction toward the ends of the core whereby guttering of the padding and the resultant ilaring and bulging of the ends of the ironing surface are substantially eliminated.

3. An ironing roll for ilatwork ironers comprising, in combination, a cylindrical core, fibrous padding surrounding the same, and an external covering for said padding, said padding having a crowned surface, defined by gradual reduction in thickness of the padding in a direction toward the ends of the core, whereby guttering of the` padding and the resultant flaring of the en thereof are substantially eliminated.

JOSEPH R. CROCKIORD. 

